Low-Carb Health and Nutrition

By Laura Dolson, About.com Guide to Low Carb Diets

This section will help you fully understand the ins and outs of low-carb eating, including the nutritional basis behind cutting carbs,and how low-carb eating interacts with health issues such as diabetes.

1. Eating Healthy While Eating Low-Carb
2. Low-Carb Super Foods
3. All About Carbohydrates
4. Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load

5. Diabetes and Prediabetes
6. Cholesterol and Heart Disease
7. Other Health-Related Issues

Eating Healthy While Eating Low-Carb

Have you heard that low-carb diets are low in nutrients? Well, the truth is that ANY diet can be low or high in nutrients, depending on what your choices are. This information can help you make healthy choices in your day-to-day eating.

• Making Your Carbs Count - Getting the Most Nutrition for the Least Carb
• Low-Carb Food Pyramid
• How to Read A Nutrition Label on a Low-Carb Diet
• How Much Protein Do You Need?
• Top Ten Low-Carb Mistakes

Low-Carb Super Foods

These foods are low in carbs and high in nutrients. Many of them have special health benefits from properties such as high levels of antioxidants. These articles have information about the foods and links to recipes.

• Green Leafy Vegetables
• Salmon
• Berries
• Eggs
• Flax Seeds

• Chocolate
• Cinnamon
• Pumpkin
• Cranberries

All About Carbohydrates

What are carbohydrates? Are some better than others? Yes! Find about about carbs, from the simple to the complex, from the rapidly-digested to the indigestible.

• Introduction to Carbohydrates
• Sugar's Many Disguises
• Seven Facts to Remember about Carbohydrates
• All About Complex Carbohydrates -- Starches
• Fiber Basics

• Fiber -- Advanced Info
• Low-Carb High-Fiber Foods
• Don't Resist This Starch! Benefits of Resistant Starch
• Oligosaccharides and Prebiotics -- Basics and Health Benefits

Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load

Some carbohydrate-rich foods cause more of a blood sugar rise than others. The glycemic index and glycemic load are two ways of trying to predict which ones cause a faster and higher rise. But these methods have their limitations. Learn all about it here.

• Carbohydrates and Blood Glucose
• What is the Glycemic Index?

Diabetes and Prediabetes

The traditional position of the American Diabetes Association is that diabetics should eat a lot of sugar (all carbs, whether found in candy or potatoes are essentially made of sugar). Not surprisingly, many diabetics and prediabetics find that this is not the most effective way to control their blood glucose. Rather than take more medication, they prefer to cut back on carbohydrates. I include an interview with Dr. Mary Vernon, a physician who uses carbohydrate reduction to treat diabetes and obesity.

• What is Diabetes and How Does it Develop?
• Mary Vernon -- Making Patients Happy While Treating Diabetes and Obesity
• Six Steps for Diabetes Prevention

• What is Insulin Resistance?
• Laura's Criticism of the ADA Stance on Low-Carb Diets
• Why I Test my Blood Sugar, Even Though I'm not Diabetic

Cholesterol and Heart Disease

Do low-carb diets contribute to the risk of heart disease? Far from it. Find out more here.

• How do Low-Carb Diets Affect Cholesterol and Triglycerides?
• Low-Carb Diets Improve Cholesterol Even Without Weight Loss
• Low-Carb Diets Don't Raise Heart Attack Risk
• Low-Fat Diets Don't Protect Against Heart Disease

Other Health-Related Issues

How certain medications may interact with eating low carb, and other health issues that people are sometimes concerned about.

• Medications and Low-Carb Diets
• Alli and Low-Carb Diets
• Low-Carb Diets and Bone Loss
• Low-Carb Diets and Kidney Function